I Warned Tinubu About Aregbesola’s Disloyalty in 2018 — Journalist Omipidan
Ismail Omipidan, the former Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Adegboyega Oyetola, the former governor of Osun State, has revealed that he cautioned Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in 2018 about the alleged disloyalty of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Omipidan made this disclosure in an excerpt from his newly released book, Persona Non Grata, which he shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
He recounted that his warning to Tinubu occurred before he became the CPS to Oyetola in 2019, noting that in 2014, when Aregbesola was seeking re-election, he set up and funded a six-member media team to support the campaign. Omipidan used his own resources and his Facebook platform to promote Aregbesola, but once the election was over, he revealed to the team that no one was funding his efforts, and he had no connections within the government.
“I funded the team and used my Facebook timeline to support Aregbesola. Once the election was decided, the team members asked when we would go to Osun to celebrate. That was when I told them I had no official connections, and no one was paying my bills,” Omipidan shared.
Looking back on his time before joining Oyetola’s government, Omipidan reflected on the 2018 election, where he had predicted there would be no clear winner from the first round. He also emphasized that a key to victory would be a negotiation with Senator Iyiola Omisore, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, which ultimately played out as expected.
Omipidan described the 2018 election as a referendum on Aregbesola’s leadership, a “battle of his life,” and shared that after the election, he advised Oyetola to avoid the arrogance of Aregbesola’s administration to succeed. He also advised Tinubu to reflect on Aregbesola’s role within their political family.
“I suggested to Asiwaju Tinubu to introspect on Aregbesola’s role in the political family. I came to that conclusion after observing the political dynamics in Ondo and Osun States during the 2017 and 2018 governorship elections,” Omipidan said, adding that he believed Aregbesola’s attitude towards Tinubu’s presidential aspirations four years later proved his point.
He also praised the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the former governor of Oyo State, for his strong support during the election, contrasting it with Aregbesola’s more detached approach.
Omipidan’s book continues to spark conversations and debate, with its revelations shedding light on internal political dynamics in the run-up to major elections.
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